Elvis Has Left The Building And So Too Did John Calipari ……………Who Knew ?

Who can forget the memorable season had by the Memphis Tigers men’s basketball team , in the NCAA tournament of 2007 ? The team went 38-2 , only to end up losing to the Kansas Jayhawks in the finals. You had the stellar play of Derrick Rose and seemingly the team’s coach John Calipari had it set , as to another accolade. It now appears that following an investigation by the NCAA. All is not as it appears to be , or should have been .

Former Tigers' coach John Calipari has a word in the ear of former player Derrick Rose . The Tigers have now had to vacate their wins covering the 2007-08 season. And there are now allegations surrounding several transgressions within the program and that also of the fact that Rose , himself , did not sit and take his SAT's. picture appears courtesy of ap/photo/ Christopher Curtis .......................

And seemingly, the program had the world at its feet after its stellar display during the tournament. Fast forward , to today and things are not what they seem. There are mounting suspicions that Calipari may have been in-fact aware ,as to several transgressions within the Tigers’ program. What’s even more troubling, is that the investigation conducted internally, wasn’t as incisive , as first thought. And it took the NCAA and their own investigation to finally bring out many of the transgressions that are said to have taken place. The men’s basketball program will have to vacate its winning season of 2007 and all of its records therein, will become invalid. Further punishment is expected to be forthcoming,pending ongoing investigations.

Here’s an oxymoron with regard to Myles Brand and collegiate athletics. Whilst no doubts the veracity of his argument brought forth. It has been his failure to deal with the corruption of collegiate athletics that’s now leading many to question the actions of the NCAA.

Former Memphis and current Kentucky coach John Calipari (right) enjoys a laugh with Gov. Steve Beshear as they serve food on the opening day of the Kentucky State Fair in Louisville , Kentucky. picture appears courtesy of ap/photo/ Ed Reinke ......................

Time and time again, it’d appear that on the face of it, collegiate athletics has become sullied and corrupted. And there appears to no apparent accountability . Either from the coaches, players , athletic directors and university presidents. And even more so, the universities themselves. As they earnestly seek to apportion blame elsewhere for their follies. And it certainly hasn’t helped that NCAA President Myles Brand has been less than forthright, when dealing with many of the issues. More ,so it gives the appearance of favoritism when it comes to certain programs and universities when an adjudication is made .And then finally, when punishment is meted out. It’s either done so in an extremely ambiguous way or it is done ,without any act of recourse on the part of a defendant.

Rose seen here during the semi-final game against UCLA in the Final Four of the NCAA tournament in San Antonio , Tx,. picture appeears courtesy of ap/photo/Charlie Neibergall .................

And while we can question the actions of not only Calipari, himself. Who has since left the program to coach at the University of Kentucky and its esteemed program. There are also a number of questions surrounding also the actions of their former player Derrick Rose. Not only has it do with his apparent taking of the SAT’s . And whether or not , he was the individual who sat and took the exam. But there’s now said to be certain irregularities as to financial inducements directly, or indirectly being made to the player and members of his immediate family.

Courtesy of Yahoo Sports and AP :

Report: Memphis to vacate Final Four season

MEMPHIS,Tenn.-(AP) Memphis will be forced to vacate the record 38 victories from its Final Four season of 2007-08 under former coach John Calipari because of NCAA violations, The Commercial Appeal reported.

The newspaper cited an unidentified source close to the situation , said on its web site Wednesday night that the NCAA will release findings of its investigations Thursday. The Commercial Appeal said it was unaware of any penalties beyond this season.

The NCAA investigated whether someone took the SAT exam for a player on that Final Four team. Memphis was notified of potential violations in January and met with the governing body in June.

The NCAA has said an unknown person took the college entrance exam for a player-with his knowledge-and that the player used it to get admitted. The governing body says the athlete played for the Tigers only in the 2007-08 season and the 2008 NCAA tournament. Just one person fits that description: Derrick Rose, the Chicago Bulls’ No.1 overall draft pick in 2008 and its rookie of the year.

“I know I didn’t do anything wrong,” Rose said two weeks ago.

The NCAA planned a conference call for Thursday afternoon , and Memphis president Shirley Raines told the Associated Press the school would follow with a news conference.

Memphis coach John Pastner declined to comment early Thursday, deferring to university officials.

Memphis finished 38-2 in 2007-08, setting the NCAA record for wins in a season. The Tigers lost 75-68 to Kansas in overtime in the national championship game.

It would be the second time both Memphis and Calipari had to vacate Final Four seasons. The Tigers were stripped of their 1985 appearance and Calipari’s Massachusetts’ team lost its 1996 berth.

Memphis athletic director R. C. Johnson, and coach John Pastner and a team spokesman couldn’t be reached for comment Wednesday night.

Calipari , appearing at the Kentucky State Fair on Thursday, would not elaborate because the report had not been officially released.

“We don’t know anything because I’m not going to comment because I have to wait on the finding,” Calipari said.” I would be disappointed if that’s what they chose to do.”

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On appearance alone , there appears to be a great deal of obfuscation by all of the integral parties concerned. Especially with regard to the actions of both Calipari and that of Derrick Rose. As they’ve since left the Tigers’ program-any penalties now meted out won’t be inflicted upon or directed at them. But more so , upon the very program itself. And if nothing else, this clearly falls upon the actions of the coach , his staff, that of the university’s compliance officials and that of the player.

Nowhere, has there been any contrite act as all parties feel that on the surface they’ve done nothing wrong. But it’d be remiss to think that this program is the only place where such malfeasance takes place. Unfortunately it’s become the norm within the world of collegiate athletics. And apparently no one is of the slightest bit concerned. Not only does this make of a mockery of the education system. But it also sends the message that as long as you don’t get caught you might as well do as you please . No matter what the cost , as to the integrity of collegiate athletics and the education system thereof.

It’s indeed a sad indictment of the collegiate system and that of athletics, on the whole. It paints a rotten picture and sends the wrong message to the aspiring college athlete that chooses to do things the right way.

Somehow, unless the NCAA actually stands firm and strives to meet these issues head on. Then we’ll continue to see not only the disingenuous coaches and athletes profit from such acts. But also the universities,themselves. They choose to forgo doing things the right way. Merely, because of the undoubted financial gain to be had. It is sets a bad principal and it brings dishonor to another realm of sports as to where it ought to be, at its purest , in its very form. But others would have us believe that we’ve really got nothing at all to worry about. I beg to differ ! As there’s absolutely no honor in cheating ! Life doesn’t teach us that and it certainly doesn’t make you feel any better once you’ve been caught. So what say you , on the matter ?

Pitino Isn’t Going Anywhere

[Editor's Note: For a complete rundown of the Rick Pitino scandal, click here to view Alan's recent piece.]

What Louisville head coach Rick Pitino did six years ago was horrible, out of line and in most cases, inexcusable. Pitino’s admission to having sex with a woman after-hours at a restaurant reflects poorly on Pitino, the woman involved and the University.

This story has been boiling for months, when it was reported that the woman, Karen Sypher, was being federally charged with trying to extort millions of dollars from Pitino. For months, there have been rumors upon rumors about the case, but nothing groundbreaking had come about — until Tuesday. That is when The Louisville Courier-Journal reported that Pitino told authorities he had sex with Sypher and gave her money for an abortion. Pitino has since said that the money was actually for insurance, but the story still remains out for everyone to see.

On Wednesday, Pitino apologized for his “indiscretion.” The pain that he has caused his family is undoubtedly great, and that is something that will take to heal. Because of this serious misconduct from Pitino, many have called for Louisville to force him to resign, and fire him if he refuses. Under many circumstances, Pitino’s actions would warrant a resignation. He is the basketball coach of a school university, coaching young men who are extremely impressionable. His job is not only to win basketball games, but to young mold men into functioning men in our society. Not only his kids produce on the court, they must also produce in the classroom and in all walks of life. Pitino’s actions have set a terrible example for all of his players, which is why people around the program and outside of it are justifiably upset. People can jump up and down all they want about this story, but Pitino isn’t going anywhere.

Pitino is someone who is held to a very high standard, and he clearly made a big mistake. But the people who want him removed appear to be out-of-touch with the state of college athletics.

Standards are something that few programs in college basketball have at this point. Programs take on one-and-done players who constantly break the rules because they know they won’t suffer the consequences. Programs hire coaches with shady recruiting practices, and rarely do anything about the rule-breaking until the NCAA steps in — like the USC and Tim Floyd scandal. Universities have put winning above moral standards and practices, which is also why college basketball has flourished over the past decade. These practices have led to many programs abandoning the academic side of things and focusing solely on basketball. Obviously, not all programs do this, as there are still many programs that set and live up to their standards and don’t stand for anything else. But clearly, the state of college basketball is not great.

Everything in college basketball is based on winning games, selling tickets and making loads of money. Pitino is one of the best at doing all three. Pitino has turned Louisville back into a perennial contender in the Big East, the toughest conference in all of college basketball. Last season, Pitino’s Cardinals won the Big East regular season championship and the Big East tournament. They were the No.1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament and came just one game away from reaching the Final Four. Pitino knows what he is doing, and is one of the best coaches in college basketball.

If he weren’t winning games, though, he probably would be gone. If a coach who isn’t winning games and therefore isn’t impressing fans commits an “indiscretion” like Pitino did, he likely wouldn’t last. It’s much easier to get rid of a coach who isn’t winning than one who is.

The only way Pitino could potentially get fired is if his actions affect recruiting. When Pitino speaks with parents of recruits, he will have to work extra hard to convince them that he will never do anything so stupid again. Parents want to send their kids off to a coach they can trust, and Pitino’s actions won’t help him on the recruiting trail. But his track record of graduating players and turning out good players and even better men is solid, which is why he shouldn’t be hurt too bad in terms of getting players to play for him at Louisville.

On Wednesday, Dr. James Ramsey, Louisville’s president, released a statement:

“Rick Pitino is the University of Louisville’s basketball coach,” the statement read. “He has been a role model for countless young people and a positive influence on this community.

“Regardless of the truth or falsehood of specific actions that have been attributed to the coach, he’s clearly made errors in judgment that have come under intense public scrutiny. We can’t ignore these errors in judgment, and they have saddened and disappointed me. As we try to teach our students, when you make a mistake, you admit it and right it as best you can. Coach has done that today.”

That’s all that was required from Pitino. A simple apology and everything is good. Louisville will act like this never happened, and the program can go back to trying to win basketball games. The actions of Pitino will never be forgotten by his family, who will need some time to get over something that had to be very painful.

No one is saying that Pitino’s actions are acceptable, because they are not. He should have used better judgement on a night in August of 2003. He should have thought about the potential consequences and made the right decision, but he didn’t.

Still, he didn’t commit a crime, can’t go to jail and he has otherwise been great for the University of Louisville. That is why, unless he starts losing games, Rick Pitino isn’t going anywhere.

Timberwolves the Team to Watch on Draft Day

Whether it be the NFL or NBA draft, there is always one team to watch that will determine how everything falls into place. In this year’s NBA draft, that team is the Minnesota Timberwolves, which own four picks in the first-round. The Timberwolves already had picks 6, 18 and 28, and they were able to grab the 5th overall pick when they traded Mike Miller and Randy Foye to the Wizards. With so many picks, the options are limitless — and the possibility of affecting what happens with other teams in the draft is inevitable.

With so much ammunition, the Timberwolves have the perfect opportunity to move up a few spots tomorrow night. But it all depends on what players the T’Wolves are looking to add. If they want a center such as Hasheem Thabeet, they will likely have to trade up with Oklahoma City in order to get him. The Thunder, however, reportedly want Thabeet, so it will take a great offer from the T’Wolves to move up to that spot. If they want a player such as Ricky Rubio, James Harden and/or Tyreke Evans, they likely will not need to move up as all three are expected to be available at picks 5-6. Trading up for the No.1 overall pick is out of the question, as the Clippers have already indicated that they will select Blake Grifiin. Plus, Griffin is the only player in this draft that has been talked about going No.1, and the T’Wolves do not need a player of his type. With Al Jefferson and Kevin Love, they already set at the forward positions.

Minnesota general manager David Kahn will have to weigh all of the possibilities, and the decision on whom the T’Wolves will select must come down to what type of player they feel they need to compete. I feel that they need a bona fide wing player who can score the basketball — someone that you can count on late in the game to take over.

James Harden, a shooting guard out of Arizona State, is an option. Harden averaged over 20 points per game and college, and last year was named the Pac-10 Player of the Year. But he comes with some question marks. Though he was a prolific scorer in college, he tended to disappear at times, most notably in the second round of the NCAA tournament against Syracuse. There’s no question that Harden possesses the talent necessary to be a very good player in the NBA, but the fact that he didn’t step up for every game is a huge concern. The No.1 trait of the best players in the league is consistency, something he must develop. But if he does, he has the talent to be a top-10 player in the NBA.

Elliot Williams Transferring From Duke

Elliot Williams, a player who was a major contributor for Duke’s basketball team as it approached the NCAA tournament, is transferring. Citing family reasons, Williams will leave and transfer somewhere close to his home in Memphis, Tennessee. This is a tough loss for Duke. While Williams did not get much playing time early in the season, his presence late in the year was paramount for coach Mike Krzyzewski’s squad. He’s a fast and very athletic point guard — something Duke has lacked in recent years. He had appeared to have the respect of his teammates, and he was excellent at finding open players. He’s a very good player, and hopefully he’ll do well wherever he transfers, as he had a bright future as Duke’s future starting point guard. Yahoo! Sports:

Elliot Williams, whose move into the starting lineup provided Duke with a late-season spark, is leaving the Blue Devils after one season because of unspecified family medical reasons.

School officials said Wednesday that Williams plans to transfer closer to his hometown of Memphis, Tenn., to be near family. He is expected to ask the NCAA to waive its transfer rule that would require him to sit out this season, Duke officials said in a statement.

“We fully support him in his efforts to be closer to (his family) during this trying time,” coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “He is a good young man with an opportunity to become an outstanding player. We wish him well as he determines his future. He will always be a part of our program and we will always be in his corner.”

Williams’ late-season emergence was one of the reasons the Blue Devils won the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament and reached the regional semifinals of the NCAA tournament.

Question Marks Surround Future No.1 Pick Griffin

The NBA Draft will be conducted in New York on Thursday, and the drama has already been taken away with regards to whom the Los Angeles Clippers will select with the first-overall pick. Oklahoma forward Blake Griffin — widely considered to be the best player available in the draft — will be the choice. The Clippers said so the minute they won the lottery, and they have also said that they are not willing to trade the pick.

The question now becomes just how good Griffin will be for the Clippers. Currently, there are more than a few question marks surrounding his game and why he will be the No.1 pick.

First off, the 2009 draft class is weak. Very weak. In fact, many analysts are calling this the worst NBA draft class in the last 25 years, and I would agree. There seems to be no debate about who the best player available is, and though Griffin is a very talented player, he really is the only player executives can justify selecting with the first-overall pick. After Griffin, there are no players that jump off the page. No one that would make a team attempt trade up for the No.1 pick because his a player that can turn a franchise around.

As a result, Griffin will be the No.1 pick, no questions asked. Analysts will spend all of Thursday discussing how good of a player Griffin is, and there is certain to be high levels of hyperbole involved, as there tends to be with every No.1 pick. But can Griffin live up to that hype?

 

Second, Griffin is a very athletic and raw player, to say the least. His athleticism is off the charts. At his size, it’s amazing the things he can do with the basketball, especially his leaping ability. He used his athleticism to his advantage in college, and that is how he scored most of his points.

He is a 6-foot-10, 251 pound forward. It is hard to know if he truly is 6-foot-10, because most colleges tend to exaggerate on player’s height. In the NBA, his body type puts him in between the small and power forward positions. His game, however, points heavily toward power forward. Griffin was a very good rebounder at Oklahoma, averaging 14.4 rebounds per game. The problem with that is that he used his size and will to bully around smaller players in college. In the NBA he will only be facing bigger players who want the ball just as much as he does. Currently, rebounding is the best aspect of his game. Moreover, it is the only part of his game that is developed. That is why the best description of Griffin would most likely be “raw.”

The negative facets of his game are not good signs, at all. For one, he showed no signs of knowing how to play any defense, whatsoever. The excuse that has been floating around is that his head coach, Jeff Capel, told him not to play defense because he didn’t want Griffin to get into foul trouble. That excuse is Bologna, and it speaks to Griffin’s knowledge of the game. If he were a good defender, he would know how to play without fouling. The fact that Capel was worried about Griffin getting in foul trouble speaks volumes about just how good of a defender he was. Plus, he went up against smaller players all throughout college, and the fact that he was not able to bully them around and pile up on blocks is disconcerting.

USC Hires Kevin O’Neill

No college basketball program is currently facing as much turmoil as the University of Southern California. Over the course of the past year, there have been numerous allegations against former star guard O.J. Mayo and former head coach Tim Floyd. Those allegations led to an NCAA investigation that is still ongoing. With all of the possible sanctions facing USC, players and recruits have bailed, as the Trojans are without a signed recruit for 2009.

Floyd “resigned” a few weeks ago, and the Trojans were put in a tough situation, as the chances of immediate success look glim and all of the very good coaches have already been grabbed by programs. They went after Pittsburgh coach Jamie Dixon, who grew up in Southern California, but he declined the Trojans, twice. Lon Kruger, Reggie Theus and Jeff Van Gundy also turned down the position.

Things got a bit brighter for the troubled program today, as the Trojans announced that former Arizona interim head coach Kevin O’Neill has been hired t0 replace Floyd. From SportsIllustrated.com:

“We’re thrilled to have Kevin O’Neill as our men’s basketball coach,” athletic director Mike Garrett said in a statement. “I love his coaching philosophy and principles: he’s a no-nonsense coach who is very detail-oriented and prepares his teams well. He stresses defense and I’ve always believed that defense wins championships.”

“His 30 years of experience at the college and professional levels has prepared him well for this opportunity,” Garrett said.

For all of the trouble surrounding the Trojans, O’Neill is not a bad hire. He is a solid basketball who should be able to bring the Trojans back to some level of respectability. In his one year at Arizona, O’Neill went 19-15 and led the Wildcats to the NCAA tournament. Of course, the Wildcats and top-10 NBA draft pick Jerryd Bayless, as well as projected lottery-picks Chase Budinger and Jordan Hill. O’Neill will not have that kind of talent at USC this upcoming season. Four top players in DeMar Deroazan, Taj Gibson, Daniel Hackett and Marcus Johnson bailed. Hackett was originally expected to stay, as was Johnson, who received a rare waiver from the NCAA to become eligible to play a sixth year. Had Hackett and Johnson stayed, things would look much better for USC.

The key for the Trojans will be how hard the NCAA comes down on the program. If the Trojans can avoid the “institutional control” charge, they shouldn’t take too hard of a hit. But if the NCAA does decide that the Trojans have a lack of “institutional control,” scholarships could be taken away, games could be forfeited and they could also lose the right to broadcast games on television.

O’Neill immediately needs to get to work on recruiting in the Southern California area and see if he can convince the recruits who were allowed to back off their letter of intents to resign. But most all, he needs to run a clean program.

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